Day 7: Sept 15th (last day)

Today is my last full day in Singapore! I had to check out by noon. Several days ago, Rozen told me there was a delicious dim sum place close to where he lived, and he asked me if I would like to try it. He said it had a Michelin Star!! I said yes, but because I will have my luggage with me, I told him it would be quite inconvenient.

Hence, Rozen told me he was going to order and then bring it over so we could eat it together before I checked out. He was so considerate!!

I think he knew it would be way too difficult for me to travel to his area to have dim sum. We were going to go to the Artscience Museum afterwards, so it would have been probably an hour of commute there and back.

Anyhow, Rozen arrived and we ate before I checked out! It was so yummy! He said he knew I would like it because it was Cantonese dim sum. He was aware of my shellfish allergy and ordered items I really liked! I thought it was so much extra work for him to come all the way, and I was very grateful he didn’t mind.

Rozen told me it was better I picked up my luggage at the end of the night, but I told him that I had to rush to the airport right after karaoke since I wanted to take the subway there, and I think the last train would be at eleven something (Karaoke was from 8-11pm). I didn’t want to pay for an Uber.

He said that we could pick up the luggage before I head to the dinner meet-up then. So, I asked the counter if I could drop off my luggage and return to get it around 5-5:30pm.

They said it was fine, but I realized my SIM card was no longer working without wifi. Fallen had gotten me one on the 9^th, but it only lasted 7 days since that was the only option unless I wanted to pay for a 30-day one. So now, another problem had occurred. People who were meeting up with me would have a hard time getting a response from me since I no longer had data.

Rozen told me that he would be with me, so I didn’t have to worry, but he wasn’t coming for dinner or karaoke, so I told everyone who was meeting me that night to message Cosy if they needed anything. Thank you for all your help, Cosy!

Anyway, we took the subway down to the Artscience Museum. When we got there, we decided on the mental health exhibition because Rozen was going to go to the main exhibit with his online date another time. Because Rozen signed up for some membership thing, it was a lot cheaper for both of us.

I was actually so impressed by the exhibit. It was one of the most touching exhibits I have ever been to. It really made me feel a lot of emotions.

If you are currently living in Singapore, I would highly recommend you check it out before they take it down.

A lot of it helps you understand what a person with mental health issues is going through.

Here are some pictures since it is very difficult to put into words:

The pill one really made me want to cry. The description was, “What do you use to cushion your mind?”

I also thought the pink expanding balloon was very powerful. I was actually getting anxious as it kept expanding. I wasn’t sure if it was going to explode or not, and the uncertainty put me on edge.

There was also another part of the exhibit where you could write notes to strangers to cheer them on. I really liked that. Visitors could take the notes home if they found some that would help them in any way.

When we walked further in, there was a telephone where you could pick up and talk to someone, and they would respond to you. I think it was AI though. It was still a very cool experience.

I feel like this type of museum is much more of a “feeling” museum than a “knowledge” museum. You really get to experience what it feels like to be in another person’s shoes. The exhibit is until February 26th, 2023, so do check it out if you’re in Singapore. Here’s a link for more info.

I think those who have mental health issues would feel like they were being heard or understood.

After we were done at the museum, I wanted to check out the Singapore Flyer, but it was so expensive that it wasn’t worth it. It was like $50/person or something ridiculous like that. Rozen said it was a tourist trap, and we decided to head elsewhere.

Rozen then said when I come to Singapore again, he would take me to places that the Singapore government didn’t want me/tourists to see. We passed by areas that were not so nice, and he said that some people still litter even though it was against the law. But he also said that some of the not so nice areas have the most delicious food, and there are many hidden gems.

At this time, I told him I wanted to try that buttermilk chicken from McDonalds, and I asked if he was willing to split half with me since I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing since the dinner event was in a few hours. Rozen didn’t mind, so we went to McDonalds.

It was a pretty delicious sandwich, and something that we don’t have in Canada. Fallen and Choufleur had told me previously that McSpicy was the best burger, but I have a very low spice tolerance, so I chose the buttermilk chicken sandwich instead.

After we were done eating, it was probably 3:30pm or so, and I still had 2 hours before I had to head to dinner. Rozen and I decided to go to a temple that was somewhat nearby! (I think it was a 15-20 minute walk)

Because I was wearing a dress, I had to cover up before entering. The monk said that the knees must not be shown, and I was given a brown apron-like thing to cover myself.

You basically tied it around the waist. A lot of women had to use it since most women wore shorts or skirts due to the Singapore heat.

I was very fascinated by the interior design, and thought it was so cool. They also had a museum upstairs, and it was nice to check out all the different types of Buddha and learn more about the history.

We went to another floor that required visitors to take off their shoes to go in, and no pictures were allowed. I told Rozen I was just going to wait for him, since I didn’t want to take off my shoes, and the people working there said that they were closing in five minutes (at 5). So Rozen dashed in and prayed, and then we left and went back to my hotel to pick up my luggage.

We picked up my luggage, and I read and answered some of the discord messages with the hotel wifi. At this time, I was so sweaty because it was SO HOT. I think Rozen was also sweating like crazy. We stayed for about ten minutes to cool down and then headed out to wait for the bus to go to Somerset.

Rozen told me that he would stay with me until the first person arrived. He said he had to go home to prepare something for work the next day. I tried to convince him to stay, but he had already spent the whole day with me, so I must not be too greedy.

Anyhow, we arrived at Somerset, and there were still almost 45 minutes before 6:30pm.

Rozen asked me if I was going to buy anything for my parents, and I told him that they were just going to say everything is a waste of money. He asked me whether I was going to buy souvenirs for myself, and I said that I had already bought three clothing items a few days ago.

He asked me what Singapore has that Canada doesn’t. I told him I liked milo, and we don’t have it in Canada (it turned out we do, but it’s not a common drink here, so you would never hear anyone say or order milo).

We were looking around in a supermarket trying to find milo, but it was almost 6:30pm. So, I told Rozen that we should go. After all, I didn’t want to be late as the organizer, and I didn’t know what half the people attending looked like.

I arrived at Marche and didn’t see anyone outside that seemed like they knew me (I told them I had a purple carry-on luggage, and was wearing a turquoise dress). So, I went downstairs to the seating area and asked if I could get a table for around 10-14 people. I wasn’t sure if there would be people who’d cancel last minute.

The waitress said it was first come first serve, so I was free to take whichever seats were available.

I went to combine five tables together and used their free wifi to read my messages. Starve had said he had arrived already, but I had never met Starve, so I wasn’t sure what he looked like.

However, I had often joked with Starve, and made a lot of starving jokes on discord. I think Starve realized who I was and made a 3 second eye-contact with me. I hesitantly asked, “Starve?”

Starve replied, “That’s me!” (lol I am really bad at remembering people’s real names since I have been using their discord names for the past few years)

I was very excited to see Starve because he is a SUPER pro and experienced translator. You could probably google Starvecleric and find out more about him if you’re curious. At this time, Rozen said he was going to leave since Starve had arrived and I was no longer alone. So, I gave him a farewell hug and thanked him for taking the time to meet me and doing so much.

Then, I told Starve that his name was a lie. I told him he should have named himself “Buff” instead! HAHAHAHAHA. I think Starve didn’t know how to react since it was a compliment, but a very strange one. Starve probably exercises a lot. Or maybe he lifts lots of heavy weights. His chest and arms looked so nice. Good job, Starve!

Anyway, shortly after, Cosy, J.Andie and Chai arrived! And then Limit came too! Then, it was Yeow, except I had never met Yeow, so when he asked, “Is this the Wuxiaworld gathering?” “I was like, yeah! Who are you?” LOL

I was really happy Yeow came though! I wasn’t sure if he would actually show up since he was close to three other translators, and two of them, OMA and Thy, had cancalled the day before.

Yeow seemed like the quiet, shy type. Shortly after, Wei arrived! I didn’t know what Wei looked like, but Yeow recognized him and Wei said, “Hi, I’m Wei” so I knew. HAHA.

Both Yeow and Wei have been translating on Wuxiaworld way before I started working there, but I manage their current projects.

Now that most people had arrived, I brought up my fair price joke again, and Cosy was so fed up since she had heard it for the past few days. BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT GROUP, OK? She facepalmed.

Eventually, Hilda and Iris showed up too!! They were a bit late since they were coming from work. I was very touched that they came since I’ve worked with these ladies when I had become the manager on volare probably in 2019.

They had finished their projects several years ago, and we don’t really talk much. Hilda translated Split Zone 13, and she also helped finish Their Love Stories. As for Iris, she translated Adorable Creature Attacks and had helped out on Bone Painting Coroner.

I had told them that I would be coming to Singapore, but I wasn’t sure if they would be willing to come out since our relationship wasn’t that deep. However, the day before the karaoke event, they both said they would come out! Yay!!

Iris and Hilda didn’t know each other prior to the event either. I think they found each other since they both seemed confused and figured out they were attending the same event.

Oh! I forgot to mention, Marche is a place where you get a temporary card, and the restaurant is designed like a marketplace with all sorts of different booths. If you find something you’d like to eat, you just line up and order, and scan the card. There is someone cooking/standing in every booth. At the very end of the night, you would check out after tapping your temporary card and paying the final balance.

While I was exploring and lining up for food, it turned out that Rozen came back to give me milo as a souvenir. He bought a pack of 12 for me to bring home. Except he didn’t tell me and had already left by the time I had returned to the table.

Oh Rozen. He is sooooo nice. I am so lucky that so many people in Singapore went above and beyond for me. *sniff sniff* You guys are so kind!!!

Anyway, we all got our food and chatted as we ate. The problem was that it was very difficult to talk to everyone since it was a long table. I stood up after I was done eating and went around to chat. I didn’t talk to Cosy or Felicia much since they already knew each other, so they could keep each other entertained. Starve was sitting in front of them, so I think they were mainly talking to each other.

Limit was facing me and sitting next to Yeow, so they talked a bit. Chai is very friendly and talkative, so I knew she would be ok on her own too. I was more concerned about Iris and Hilda since they truly didn’t know anyone. So, I went over to the end of the table to talk to them!

I also talked with Wei and Yeow since I had never met them before, but it was difficult to have a proper deep conversation in such a large group. There are pros and cons to hosting a big event.

Karaoke was at 8pm upstairs in the same mall. Kun, Eud, and Mel were joining just for karaoke, and Raku said she would come after class.

Kun arrived at Marche just as we were leaving, and we all paid before heading upstairs. Chai took my card and paid for my meal. I exclaimed, “What are you doing!!!?!?!! Your parents already treated me!!”

She refuted, “That’s my parents. Not me.” -_-“

This girl. Next time I have to spend alone time with her. She likes to do a lot of water sports, so maybe I’ll get her to go kayaking or try one of those boat activities she always does on IG. I shall see.

Anyway, it was now roughly around eight, but our room was still not ready yet. The workers said that we would be given the full 3 hours, so I didn’t have to worry. I had already put down a deposit, so our room was guaranteed. Cosy had helped me book the VIP room that could hold up to 30 people.

I had invited around 20 people and figured that was already quite a lot. Some people couldn’t make it due to school/work/other reasons, but I think we had 14 in the end, which was still quite a lot!

I was surprised that we were allowed to bring our own drinks as long as we cleaned up after ourselves. So, a bunch of us went down to get bubble tea to bring inside.

It was so much fun singing with everyone. Sadly, there were only two mics, and a standing mic for anyone who would like to stand and be dramatic.

There were two screens so everyone in the room could easily see the screen. I asked them to sing me some Hokkien songs, and Iris and Hilda sang some 五月天. I think they’re a Taiwanese band/group. I’m not sure how similar Taiwanese and Hokkien are, but they said it’s Hokkien. I couldn’t understand but I really enjoyed it!!

The atmosphere was so nice. An hour or so later, Cosy came in with a birthday cake. I was honestly SO SURPRISED. After all, my birthday was two days ago, and I thought if she wanted to get me a cake, she would’ve gotten me one on my actual birthday!

The cake was so pretty!! Cosy said her mother made it, and said that was why she wasn’t the first one to arrive at Marche since she had to bring the cake to the karaoke place to put in the fridge. Cosy is my biggest Singapore hater and lover at the same time lol. ❤

I was so touched, and everyone sang happy birthday to me. I think maybe some of them had no idea it was my birthday. HAHA. But I felt so loved and special! Thank you so much, everyone!

Raku had also shown up by now, and Mel as well!! If you have read my previous posts, you’d know that Mel LOVES karaoke. He came just for that. Mel was happy to see Raku since he wasn’t too familiar with most of the people there.

When Mel started to sing, everyone asked, “Who’s that?” They were wondering what he translated. But Mel doesn’t translate. I told them he was someone I had karaoked with on discord years ago and I wanted to sing karaoke with him in person. I also said Mel was a reader.

Then everyone asked Mel, “What do you read?” They were wondering if he read their novels.

When I wasn’t singing, I went around the room making small chats with everyone. Yeow said I was a lot more bubbly than he thought. He looked stressed at times. Hopefully I didn’t stress him out!

Wei seemed pretty into the music. He sang Payphone and we all sang along. I have a recording but I can’t post here since people are private, so you can only use your imagination.

Starve seemed to like karaoke and sang along to most of the songs! I think he mostly sang along. Most of us were familiar with many Mandarin songs since we grew up listening to them.

Limit also sang emo Jay Chou songs and commented, “Oh, I totally relate to this.”

I gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Cosy also rapped in Korean, which was super impressive. She is SOOOOO good. Chai was dancing to the kpop song called Nobody as Cosy and J.Andie sang, and my eyes was shining brightly by the entertainment! The song is so catchy! Do listen!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZBn1e9pr2Q

Raku might have sung a few Japanese songs alongside with people, but she preferred listening. Raku really made a lot of effort to see me while I was in Singapore. Thank you, Rakuuuu. You came even at 9pm!!

Eud sang quite a bit, and so did Mel. Eud seemed really passionate about singing. He picked quite a lot of dramatic songs too.

Mel was totally a pro (like always). Depending on the song, it almost sounded like we were listening at a concert when he sings.

Kun also enjoyed singing as well. I could see him tapping his feet to the beat! I think everyone had fun.

Kun’s wife and son was waiting for him, so he had to leave a bit earlier. I thanked him for taking the time to come out. It was very nice to meet him! Kun helps us with the site operations. He is extremely helpful and reliable!

When it was eleven, I told everyone I had to go because I had to take the subway to the airport and I didn’t want to miss the last train.

Cosy asked me if I would like her to accompany me. I was stunned. “Seriously? You know, if you offer, I’m not going to decline!” I warned.

She said she would come, and J.Andie and Chai were also going the same way, so we all took the subway towards the east side!

Everyone else figured out their way home, and we parted ways when we were at the subway entrance. I didn’t give people a hug because I was worried I wouldn’t catch the last train, and also because I was discouraged by the reactions throughout the week, so to save them the awkwardness and embarrassment, I just thanked everyone and said bye!!

Chai, Cosy, J.Andie and I chatted a lot while we were on the subway. But the subway is really not the ideal place to chat. I told them about what I did on my trip, and they asked me how I was able to fit so much in a week. I told them I slept between 2-6 hours a night. Aaaaiiii.

Cosy called me crazy. There was still quite a lot that I didn’t get to do on my trip this time. I really want to go to Universal Studios next time! I didn’t even go to Sentosa!!!

Not to mention, I didn’t do any water activities and check out any fire trucks! LOL

Anyway, Chai couldn’t stay out since she had work the next morning, so she got off at her stop and we bid each other farewell. Until next time, Chai!

J.Andie said she was going to the airport to keep me company too!! I was really happy. I would have been fine on my own, but it was nice to have company. My flight wasn’t until 8:45am, so I had to kill at least 8 hours.

After we had arrived at the airport, we went to the washroom since I was in such a rush that I didn’t go right before I left. Then, we looked around for a place that was open so we could sit down instead of wandering around the airport.

We stood there while scrolling through our phones. I was trying to connect to the airport wifi, and the other two were looking up where we could go. Most places were closed since it was midnight.

Then, Fallen showed up!!! Awwwww. I didn’t expect Fallen to show up since he didn’t come to karaoke. I thought he would have most likely gone to the airport to say goodbye IF he went to the farewell event, but since he said he wasn’t coming out anymore, I figured he wasn’t going to.

It was so nice to see him!! It turned out that he had texted Cosy and asked her if she was going to send me off. He said he would if she goes, and that was why Cosy offered to accompany me. (I actually thought I was that special lol. Jk! Thanks, guys!) I got Cosy to help me and Fallen take a picture since we didn’t even have a picture together. Omg.

Fallen didn’t seem that enthusiastic, but maybe he was tired since it was midnight.

We eventually found a café that was open, and I ordered for everyone and the cafe gave me two gigantic plastic cups with lids as a gift since I had spent over $40 (You get one if you spend over $20).

I asked the others but none of them wanted it, so I gave one back and took one to stuff all the milo that Rozen had bought me. (I had to take it out of the packaging since my luggage was already full).

At this moment, I still had two pieces of pork jerky left, but no one would help me eat it, so I was munching on it while giving them an evil stare. It was good, but I was hoping we could split so I didn’t have to eat both myself!!

We chatted for a few more hours, and I think Fallen, Cosy, and J.Andie were so tired. I told them they could just go since it was already 3am. But they said they were going to stay with me until I checked in. *Sobs*

I also received messages from Prem. I wasn’t checking my phone all that much since I no longer had data, and the airport wifi would automatically stop working after 30 minutes, so I would need to log in repeatedly.

I realized Prem was messaging me a lot. I told him that I was at the airport, and I was leaving that day. He was worried I was alone and said he could drive over to keep me company for the rest of the night.

I was so touched!!! But Prem is a married man and it was 3am!!! I didn’t want Bunbun to get jealous, and I was already with three others, so I told him not to worry and that I was with people already.

Oh Prem, next time I have to treat you and Bunbun back!! I really had a great time with them! Sigh. I am so lucky. Last week, my brother asked me, “How do you have so many friends in Singapore? You haven’t even met most of them!?”

“I know, right?” I think it was probably the timing. I had met most of them before I had gotten really busy, so we chatted A LOT back then and have a very strong foundation. So even if I don’t talk to them for months, it still feels like we could chat like old buddies despite not having met before.

Anyway, Fallen and Cosy said that I was nuts for trying to meet so many people. They said they were a lot more selective with people they meet, and they wouldn’t try to meet thirty people in a week. Cosy complained that I drained all her social battery.

J.Andie said she only met me on Day 6 and 7 (extended to Day 8 since it’s now past midnight) and she was already exhausted.

I thanked them for being so generous with their time. And Fallen replied, “You’re worth our time.”

I was so touched!!!!

Fallen, as you know, has a foul mouth and nothing good to say 95% of the time. But when he does say something nice, it is really nice.

Anyway, around 4am or so, we started to head to the terminal where I was departing from, but it wasn’t going to open until probably 5:45am. By now, they looked like zombies and were ready to fall asleep.

Since I was so touched, I actually cried a few times. Cosy was like, “Wow, you are crying again?”

Hey! I’m sentimental, ok? That hater!

After tearing up 3x (and crying), I finally said goodbye. I just waved since I would cry more if I had hugged them individually. I was still fairly awake since my sleep schedule was wacked so I was extra emotional.

I went to my gate and realized I still had quite a lot of time before my flight. Singapore is much more efficient in that they do the baggage check for the individual flight itself.

Whereas, in Canada, ALL the international flights have to go through security at the same place, so there is a lot more congestion and the line has thousands of people.

I messaged Jasper and told him I was doing ok. I think he may have been worried since I didn’t answer the whole day (but that was because I had limited wifi and I didn’t see the messages until hours later!!)

Anyhow, that was the end of my Singapore trip. It was back to Canada for me; a 36 hr travel if I include the two layovers and all the waiting time. It was exhausting, but I’m so glad I had gone to Singapore to meet some of my closest online friends and colleagues. Thank you to everyone who had come out to make my time so memorable. Love you all!! See you next time.

If you actually read everything, give yourself a pat on the back and don’t forget to show off to me. I will give you a 5-star rating and a very nice hug if I see you!

Stay tuned for my Europe posts!